We look back at an eventful year for Transcom – and an even more exciting year to come. We hope that you will get to spend time with your family and loved ones during the holidays, come back well rested and ready to kick off 2018!

Help us help

In the spirit of the season and our internal initiative Transcom Cares, instead of Christmas gifts, we’ve decided to support the Red Cross. Help us spread the holiday spirit to those who really need it by participating in our campaign!

Refugee crisis

In the Syrian war, for refugees in Lebanon and at the beaches of Greece and Italy for those who flee across the Mediterranean. Thousands of volunteers provide first aid and hand out food, water, soap, diapers, nappy bottles and sleeping bags. The Red Cross is present along the entire escape route to supply medical care and support.

The Dutch Transcom team has shown exceptional creativity in the first Great Transcom Bake Off. The contest took place in early April and served as a fund raiser for the local Animal Ambulance. 12 Transcom team members put their baking skills to test, the results of which were professionally tasted by the jury, including local General Manager Joop Evers.

The cakes were rated on taste, texture, presentation and creativity. The cakes, a wide variety of flavors and types ranging from Oreo to double layer fondant, were put up for sale to raise money for the local Animal Ambulance. The jury was all praises for the bakers’ creativity and applauded them for their commitment to supporting the volunteers at the Animal Ambulance.

Eva de Vries was declared the proud winner of the contest, an 8/10 as per the jury. She brought the perfect balance between taste, creativity and presentation – a beautiful cake that tasted just as delicious. Yvonne Splinter and Ginette Loer came in second and third. Brilliant job by all of you!

Transcom Netherlands gladly doubled the amount that Transcom’s Next Top Bakers raised and is happy to support the local Animal Ambulance, a voluntary organization that collects sick and wounded animals and brings them to an animal shelter where their owners can pick them up once they recover. The volunteers work selflessly and are 24/7 available for emergencies, a tremendously devoted group of people. (www.dierenambulance-groningen.nl).

Today, we published our magazine Hello Transcom 2017, which features stories from around the company. In this issue, we focus on the effects of digitalization in our industry, and give some examples of how Transcom is responding together with our clients. You can access the magazine at the bottom of this post, or download it from here.

We recently also launched a special website, 2016.transcom.com, which replaces the traditional front section of the annual report. On this site, you will find information on our accomplishments in 2016 and focus areas going forward. We have also published our report on people & sustainability there. This year, we took an important step in further improving our sustainability reporting by publishing our first report in accordance with the GRI Standards (Core option) of the Global Reporting Initiative. We have started to report on a number of new KPIs, not least in our focus areas People Development and Equality & Diversity.

The terrible earthquake that devastated huge areas of central Italy last August 24 caused hundreds of victims and flattened houses, churches, schools, hospitals and public buildings. It also made many of our colleagues at Transcom’s L’Aquila site in Italy (60 km from the epicenter) relive the dramatic days of the disastrous 2009 earthquake, giving them a sleepless night, but fortunately without causing any major damage or victims.

As it did seven years ago, Transcom’s aid and solidarity machine sprang into action to offer support to the people affected and promote the fundraising channels activated by the Italian and International Red Cross.

After the earthquake, the schools in Amatrice were transferred to the prefabricated units installed by the Civil Protection service.

In addition, shortly before the start of the school year, Transcom Italy promoted a solidarity project to help support the 785 students educated at the schools and institutes located in Amatrice, Arquata, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto that were damaged by the earthquake. A fundraising effort was set in motion to ensure that the start of the academic year was a dignified one in the temporary schools set up in record time by the Civil Protection service. Through the HR offices at all Italian sites, Transcom raised about €2,000 to buy classroom materials (pencil cases, exercise books, text books) for students at all levels, from elementary to secondary school.

This donation is an initiative promoted by Transcom Cares, the solidarity and social responsibility program that supervises our initiatives worldwide.

In December 2016, Transcom Shared Service Center Vilnius (SSC) decided to organize a fund raising for a good purpose – to support an initiative of building a home for families of the children with oncological diseases.

Every year about 100 children under 18 are diagnosed with cancer in Lithuania. Recovering from this disease takes from half a year up to several years, depending on how advanced the cancer is. When the child gets ill – the whole family is affected by this illness as well. Only one parent can stay with the child in the hospital, while other family members stay apart. To ease the situation for these families and give them a possibility to get through this rough time in their lives standing strong together we invited the whole Shared Service Center to contribute to the project of building a home! This home will be located near the biggest oncological center in Lithuania.Here the families will get medical care from pediatricians, pain specialists, medics,oncologists, but they will also have access to different art and music therapies. The aim with the home is to help families get better both physically and emotionally.

Transcom’s fund raising event was initiated together with fun activities for the whole department including snacks, fun videos remembering what we achieved in 2016 and what we are looking forward to in 2017. Also, we received many cheerful Christmas video greetings from our colleagues we work with daily from all over Europe, the Philippines and North America – really building a feeling of One Transcom! During this wonderful time of the year we are so happy to contribute to making good things happen.

“It’s never too late for an old dog to learn new tricks… as long as the dog is willing to learn.”

Being 46 years old, this saying perfectly resonates to Theresa Ordiales who shares her inspiring story of growing and learning as she celebrates her ninth anniversary with Transcom Philippines.

Words by Theresa Ordiales.

I think I’m already a bit “over the hill.” But just because I’m old doesn’t mean I should stop learning and doing the things I love. I’m about to celebrate my ninth anniversary with Transcom and I’m proud to say that I have watched the company bloom and grow like how a parent would witness her children grow up and mature.

My life has truly never been the same since I joined the company in 2007. At first, I only considered entering the BPO industry for the sake of paying the bills. I never realized that it will lead to the establishment of my career and the rebirth of my self-esteem.

I was 37 years old then, and just like everyone else, I started taking calls with a handful of jitters and apprehensions. It was like all the negative vibes rolled into one. Fortunately, after the heart-pounding first call, I was able to get a hang of it, and the rest is history.

I never knew I had the confidence to do customer service – talking to customers, addressing their inquiries, explaining theirs bills, and ultimately resolving their issues. I started as an agent in 2007, got promoted as a trainer in 2012, and transitioned as an Organizational Development trainer in April this year. It’s safe to say that Transcom has transformed me and helped me not only discover, but also harness my skills.

I also had my fair share of uncertainties, humiliation, disappointments, and triumphs, but they didn’t stop me from achieving my goals. In fact, they motivated me, because I knew that there is always room for improvement, and I had the power to work for it.

The opportunity given to me by Transcom became my life. Never in my wildest imagination have I thought to stay in one company for nine years. I guess Transcom has truly captivated me.

Now in my new role as a trainer under the Organizational Development Team, I am still learning from my peers and mentors – regardless of age.